HC Deb 21 June 1971 vol 819 cc212-8W
Mr. Golding

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that investment in the region's hospitals should be increased and a more effective differential salary scheme considered;

(2) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that industrial development certificates control should be relaxed for schemes of improvement and nationalisation;

(3) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that public expenditure on civil engineering should be kept stable and road construction teams kept together;

(4) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that water and sewerage requires urgent attention in the region and the need to improve standards must be taken into account;

(5) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there should be a positive economic policy for the West Midlands which provides an adequate range of jobs to meet the employment needs of the region;

(6) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that trunk road planning should be closely tied to local authority planning;

(7) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that road investment priorities should be assessed within the region;

(8) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that a third lane should be added to the M5 Motorway;

(9) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the region must support the development of the service industries in those areas that can attract them;

(10) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there is a need for office development in the overspill areas;

(11) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that structure plans throughout the region should recognise the importance of providing for industrial growth;

(12) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that a comprehensive view of road and rail services is required to meet commuting demands economically;

(13) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that industrial and residential zones should be less rigorously separated in the West Midlands;

(14) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there is a need for retraining in the metal-working industries based on effective manpower forecasting;

(15) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there should be a positive economic policy for the West Midlands which maintains the competitive capacity of the region;

(16) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the problem of agricultural pollution be kept under review;

(17) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the appraisal should be regularly followed up by his Department;

(18) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there is need for better regional economic statistics and for the establishment of a regional data bank;

(19) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there should be a positive economic policy for the West Midlands which selectively introduces new industry, as an insurance against obsolescence and because the region is in a unique position to exploit new ideas;

(20) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that research on the construction industry be extended;

(21) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that demand fluctuation be reduced in the interest of small-and medium-sized firms in the construction industry;

(22) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that there should be close liaison between industry and the medical profession within the National Health Service;

(23) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that productivity in the United Kingdom machine tool industry should be improved;

(24) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that capacity in the machine tool industry should be increased, because of the cyclical nature of demand;

(25) what action he intends to take following the recommendation of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that Government spending on research and development in electricity supply should be extended to the rest of the industry;

(26) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that distributive trades firms in the region should be encouraged to use the consultancy services available;

(27) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the advantages of concentration of medical consultants in the National Health Service should be recognised;

(28) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that better coordination is required between regions and that plans for development along the line to the South-East should be studied;

(29) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the growth of out-of-town shopping centres should not be restricted;

(30) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that more development should be considered near major housing sites and in smaller centres;

(31) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that better use should be made of unused industrial land;

(32) what action he intends to lake following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that financial incentives should be used to attract firms to new towns;

(33) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that a research programme in patterns of growth should be carried out;

(34) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that school leavers should be made more aware of the openings in the service industries and the training required;

(35) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that more training in business administration should be provided;

(36) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that better facilities and more funds should be provided for architectural training;

(37) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that local authority sanitary ware requirements should be standardised to reduce costs;

(38) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that a major business school should be sited in the West Midlands paid from public funds;

(39) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that technically advanced small firms should be specifically encouraged;

(40) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the environmental amenities of the West Midlands should be better publicised;

(41) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that industrial development certificate policy should take account of displaced miners;

(42) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that better public transport services should be provided in the rural areas;

(43) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that better advisory services for small firms should be provided in the region;

(44) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that consideration should be given to the advantages of siting specialised educational institutions centrally;

(45) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council's economic appraisal that the West Midlands should be considered as a site for dispersed Government offices;

(46) what action he intends to take following the recommendations of the West Midlands Planning Economic Council's economic appraisal that an overall communications plan is necessary for the region, taking account of long-term costs.

Mr. Graham Page

This valuable Report is being carefully studied by the Departments concerned. When this has been done, and after any further consultations which may be needed, my right hon. Friends and I will make our views known. In view of the wide range and importance of the issues raised in the Report I cannot say when this will be, but I can give an assurance that what has to be done will be done as quickly as possible.